The success of a vented attic or roof deck relies on its airtightness.
Roof ventilation with insulation.
Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents.
For the same reason insulation shouldn t touch the roof s underside.
Help protect your roof system from premature deterioration by installing a properly balanced attic ventilation system consisting of cobra exhaust vent at the ridge and adequate intake ventilation at or near the soffit areas of your roof.
Hot air exhaust vents located at the peak of the roof allow hot air to escape.
The soffit vents are now installed but you still need to make sure there s no insulation blocking the new vents.
Intake vents located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves allow cool air to enter the attic.
At first it may seem odd to add insulation for warmth and then purposely allow cold air to.
The space above the top plate of exterior walls at the bottom of each rafter bay is especially important.
If the attic is insulated with fiberglass batts just pull back any that are blocking the flow of air.
These fans may be controlled by a switch or a thermostat which detects heat build up in the attic space and.
Covering up the soffit vents with loose fill or batts which can happen if you stuff insulation along the eaves is a huge no no.
Good roof ventilation can do this but shingle color sun exposure and insulation are exponentially more important to overall energy efficiency than ventilation.
In addition insulation baffles must be installed at the point where the attic floor meets the roofline to prevent the attic insulation from migrating into the cavities and restricting the airflow from the soffit vents.
Whole house fans powered attic fans.
Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents.
Baffles are available at home centers.
Insulation is used in an attic for cross ventilation to minimize potential for moisture accumulation and condensation to help energy savings and moisture control.
Sure installing roof vents for older homes can reduce your hot air during the summer but there are probably more low risk cost effective ways to increase your home s energy efficiency.
If your attic is well insulated the insulation might be plugging the spaces between rafters just above exterior walls.
That means air can t flow from the soffit vents to the roof vents.
The solution is to add baffles which allow air to flow past the insulation photo 9.
Baffles placed in this area channel intake air into either the attic space or vent chutes and also prevent insulation from falling into the soffit and blocking airflow.
The airflow from the soffits to the ridge vent keeps the roof cool and prevents ice dams and the material will block that flow.
Traditionally insulation materials that are placed inside of an attic will require air circulation within the attic space to assist in drying excess moisture in this indoor space.
